1. arrival

A week ago Friday I took off for Canada. You might remember last summer I went to the Oregon coast for a week with some women friends, some of whom I had spent a week with at the residency in upper state NY the previous summer and some of whom I was meeting for the first time. It was originally just a one time thing but we had such a good time that we decided to do it again this year. Denise and Natalie, who live in Calgary Canada, volunteered to host the horde.

As it turned out, the Group of 7 became the Gang of 4. Leigh from Australia couldn't swing the trip this year, Abi from Portland had a job come up at the last minute, and Terry from Portland was still trying to sell her house.

I arrived a little after noon (Catharine, several hours later) to joyous hugs. On the way back to our command center, Denise's house, we stopped and had Korean for lunch. While Denise was preparing for the small welcoming party she had planned for that evening, Natali gave me a quick tour of ACAD, Alberta College of Art and Design, where she is a tenured instructor in the glass department. 

photo source

It's really an awful building, all gray and concrete inside with long hallways from which windowless classrooms sprout. (I wish I had thought to take pictures but as it turned out, I didn't take nearly as many pictures as I did last year and many of those didn't come out well.) Nat says she hopes the drab surroundings inspire her students to greater creativity.

After Catharine arrived, she and I finally tossed a coin to see who would get the guest room and who would get the basement room, both equally fine accommodations, because neither of us would make the first choice. Then we settled in and relaxed with martinis while the guests, friends of Denise's and all very interesting and talented women, arrived.

Sitting on the patio as the guests arrive while Denise slaves away in the kitchen.

Catharine, Denise, and I

I am so happy to be with these amazing women again.